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- Majjhima Nikaya 107
- Ganakamoggallana Sutta
- The Discourse to Ganaka-Moggallana
- Translated from the Pali by I.B. Horner
- For free distribution only,
by arrangement with the Buddhist Publication Society
From Taming the Mind: Discourses
of the Buddha (WH 51), edited by the Buddhist Publication Society, (Kandy:
Buddhist Publication Society, 1983).
Thus I have heard: At one time the Lord was staying near Savatthi
in the palace of Migara's mother in the Eastern Monastery. Then the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana approached the Lord; having
approached he exchanged greetings with the Lord; having conversed in a friendly and
courteous way, he sat down at a respectful distance. As he was sitting down at a
respectful distance, Ganaka-Moggallana the brahman spoke thus to the Lord: "Just as,
good Gotama, in this palace of Migara's mother there can be seen a gradual training, a
gradual doing, a gradual practice, that is to say as far as the last flight of stairs,[1] so, too, good Gotama, for these brahmans there can be seen a
gradual training, a gradual doing, a gradual practice, that is to say in the study [of the
Vedas];[2] so too, good Gotama, for these archers there can be
seen a gradual...practice, that is to say in archery; so too, good Gotama, for us whose
livelihood is calculation[3] there can be seen a gradual
training, a gradual practice, that is to say in accountancy. For when we get a pupil, good
Gotama, we first of all make him calculate: 'One one, two twos, three threes, four fours,
five fives, six sixes, seven sevens, eight eights, nine nines, ten tens,' and we, good
Gotama, also make him calculate a hundred. Is it not possible, good Gotama, to lay down a
similar gradual training, gradual doing, gradual practice in respect of this dhamma
and discipline?"
"It is possible, brahman, to lay down a gradual training, a gradual doing, a
gradual practice in respect of this dhamma and discipline, Brahman, even a skilled
trainer of horses, having taken on a beautiful thoroughbred first of all gets it used to
the training in respect of wearing the bit. Then he gets it used to further training --
even so brahman, the Tathagata, having taken on a man to be tamed, first of all
disciplines him thus:
Morality
"'Come you, monk, be of moral habit, live controlled by the control of the
Obligations, endowed with [right] behavior and posture, seeing peril in the slightest
fault and, undertaking them, train yourself in the rules of training.' As soon, brahman,
as the monk is of moral habit, controlled by the control of the Obligations, endowed with
[right] behavior and posture; seeing peril in the slightest fault and, undertaking them,
trains himself in the rules of training, the Tathagata disciplines him further saying:
Sense-control
"'Come you monk, be guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs; having seen a
material shape with the eye, do not be entranced with the general appearance, do not be
entranced with the detail; for if one dwells with the organ of sight uncontrolled,
covetousness and dejection, evil, unskillful states of mind, may flow in. So fare along
controlling it, guard the organ of sight, achieve control over the organ of sight. Having
heard a sound with the ear...Having smelt a smell with the nose...Having savored a taste
with the tongue...Having felt a touch with the body...Having cognized a mental state with
the mind, do not be entranced with the detail. For if one dwells with the organ of mind
uncontrolled, covetousness and dejection, evil, unskillful states of mind, may flow in. So
fare along controlling it; guard the organ of mind, achieve control over the organ of
mind.'
Moderation in eating
"As soon, brahman, as a monk is guarded as to the doors of the sense-organs, the
Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, be moderate in eating; you
should take food reflecting carefully, not for fun or indulgence or personal charm or
beautification, but taking just enough for maintaining this body and keeping it going, for
keeping it unharmed, for furthering the Brahma-faring,[4] with
the thought: Thus will I crush out an old feeling, and I will not allow a new feeling to
arise, and then there will be for me subsistence and blamelessness and abiding in
comfort.'
Vigilance
"As soon, brahman, as a monk is moderate in eating, the Tathagata disciplines him
further, saying: 'Come you, monk, dwell intent on vigilance; during the day while pacing
up and down, while sitting down, cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states; during the
middle watch of the night, lie down on the right side in the lion posture, foot resting on
foot, mindful, clearly conscious, reflecting on the thought of getting up again; during
the last watch of the night, when you have arisen, while pacing up and down, while sitting
down, cleanse the mind of obstructive mental states.'
Mindfulness and clear consciousness
"As soon, brahman, as a monk is intent on vigilance, the Tathagata disciplines him
further, saying: 'Come you, monk, be possessed of mindfulness and clear consciousness,
acting with clear consciousness whether you are approaching or departing, acting with
clear consciousness whether you are looking ahead or looking round, acting with clear
consciousness whether you are bending in or stretching out [the arms], acting with clear
consciousness whether you are carrying the outer cloak, the bowl or robe, acting with
clear consciousness whether you are eating, drinking, munching, savoring, acting with
clear consciousness whether you are obeying the calls of nature, acting with clear
consciousness whether you are walking, standing, sitting, asleep, awake, talking or being
silent.'
Overcoming of the five hindrances
"As soon, brahman, as he is possessed of mindfulness and clear consciousness, the
Tathagata disciplines him further, saying: 'Come you, monk, choose a remote lodging in a
forest, at the root of a tree, on a mountain slope, in a glen, a hill cave, a cemetery, a
woodland grove, in the open, or on a heap of straw.' On returning from alms-gathering
after the meal, the monk sits down crosslegged, holding the back erect, having made
mindfulness rise up in front of him. He, getting rid of covetousness for the world, dwells
with a mind devoid of covetousness, he cleanses the mind of covetousness. Getting rid of
the taint of ill-will, he dwells benevolent in mind; compassionate and merciful towards
all creatures and beings, he cleanses the mind of ill-will. Getting rid of sloth and
torpor, he dwells without sloth or torpor; perceiving the light, mindful and clearly
conscious he cleanses the mind of sloth and torpor. Getting rid of restlessness and worry,
he dwells calmly; the mind inward tranquil, he cleanses the mind of restlessness and
worry. Getting rid of doubt, he dwells doubt-crossed; unperplexed as to the states that
are skilled,[5] he cleanses his mind of doubt.
Jhana
"He, by getting rid of these five hindrances,[6] which are
defilements of the mind and deleterious to intuitive wisdom, aloof from pleasures of the
senses, aloof from unskilled states of mind, enters and abides in the first meditation
which is accompanied by initial thought and discursive thought, is born of aloofness and
is rapturous and joyful. By allaying initial thought and discursive thought, his mind
subjectively tranquilized and fixed on one point, he enters and abides in the second
meditation which is devoid of initial thought and discursive thought, is born of
concentration and is rapturous and joyful. By the fading out of rapture, he dwells with
equanimity, attentive and clearly conscious, and experiences in his person that joy of
which the ariyans[7] say: 'Joyful lives he who has equanimity
and is mindful,' and he enters and abides in the third meditation. By getting rid of
anguish, by the going down of his former pleasures and sorrows, he enters and abides in
the fourth meditation which has neither anguish nor joy, and which is entirely purified by
equanimity and mindfulness.
"Brahman, such is my instruction for those monks who are learners who, perfection
being not yet attained, dwell longing for the incomparable security from the bonds. But as
for those monks who are perfected ones, the cankers destroyed, who have lived the life,
done what was to be done, shed the burden, attained to their own goal, the fetters of
becoming utterly destroyed, and who are freed by perfect profound knowledge -- these
things conduce both to their abiding in ease here and now as well as to their mindfulness
and clear consciousness."
When this had been said, the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana spoke thus to the Lord:
"Now, on being exhorted thus and instructed thus by the good Gotama, do all the
good Gotama's disciples attain the unchanging goal[8] --
nibbana or do some not attain it?"
"Some of my disciples, brahman, on being exhorted and instructed thus by me,
attain the unchanging goal -- nibbana; some do not attain it."
"What is the cause, good Gotama, what the reason that; since nibbana does exist,
since the way leading to nibbana exists, since the good Gotama exists as adviser, some of
the good Gotama's disciples on being exhorted thus and instructed thus by the good Gotama,
attain the unchanging goal -- nibbana, but some do not attain it?"
"Well then, brahman, I will question you on this point in reply. As it is pleasing
to you, so you may answer me. What do you think about this, brahman? Are you skilled in
the way leading to Rajagaha?"
"Yes, sir, skilled am I in the way leading to Rajagaha."
"What do you think about this? A man might come along here wanting to go to
Rajagaha. Having approached you, he might speak thus: 'I want to go to Rajagaha, sir; show
me the way to this Rajagaha.' You might speak thus to him: "Yes, my good man, this
road goes to Rajagaha; go along it for a while. When you have gone along it for a while
you will see a village; go along for a while; when you have gone along for a while you
will see a market town; go for a while. When you have gone along for a while you will see
Rajagaha with its delightful parks, delightful forests, delightful fields, delightful
ponds. But although he has been exhorted and instructed thus by you, he might take the
wrong road and go westwards. Then a second man might come along wanting to go to
Rajagaha...(as above)... you will see Rajagaha with its delightful...ponds.'
Exhorted and instructed thus by you he might get to Rajagaha safely. What is the cause,
brahman, what the reason that, since Rajagaha does exist, since the way leading to
Rajagaha exists, since you exist as adviser, the one man, although being exhorted and
instructed thus by you, may take the wrong road and go westwards while the other may get
to Rajagaha safely?"
"What can I, good Gotama, do in this matter? A shower of the way, good Gotama, am
I."
"Even so, brahman, nibbana does exist, the way leading to
nibbana exists and I exist as adviser. But some of my disciples, on being exhorted and
instructed thus by me attain the unchanging goal -- nibbana, some do not attain it. What
can I, brahman, do in this matter? A shower of the way, brahman, is a Tathagata."
When this had been said, the brahman Ganaka-Moggallana spoke thus to the Lord:
"Good Gotama, as for those persons who, in want of a way of living, having gone
forth from home into homelessness without faith, who are crafty, fraudulent, deceitful,
who are unbalanced and puffed up, who are shifty, scurrilous and of loose talk, the doors
of whose sense-organs are not guarded, who do not know moderation in eating, who are not
intent on vigilance, indifferent to recluseship, not of keen respect for the training, who
are ones for abundance, lax, taking the lead in backsliding, shirking the burden of
seclusion, who are indolent, of feeble energy, of confused mindfulness, not clearly
conscious, not concentrated but of wandering minds, who are weak in wisdom, drivellers --
the good Gotama is not in communion with them. But as for those young men of
respectable families who have gone forth from home into homelessness from faith, who are
not crafty, fraudulent or deceitful, who are not unbalanced or puffed up, who are not
shifty, scurrilous or of loose talk, the doors of whose sense-organs are guarded, who know
moderation in eating, who are intent on vigilance, longing for recluseship, of keen
respect for the training, who are not ones for abundance, not lax, shirking, backsliding,
taking the lead in seclusion, who are of stirred up energy, self-resolute, with
mindfulness aroused, clearly conscious, concentrated, their minds one-pointed, who have
wisdom, are not drivellers -- the good Gotama is in communion with them. As, good
Gotama, black gum is pointed to as chief of root-scents, as red sandalwood is pointed to
as chief of the pith-scents, as jasmine is pointed to as chief of the flower scents --
even so is the exhortation of the good Gotama highest among the teachings of today. Excellent, good Gotama, excellent, good Gotama. As, good Gotama, one
might set upright what had been upset, or disclose what had been covered, or show the way
to one who had gone astray, or bring an oil-lamp into the darkness so that those with
vision might see material shapes -- even so in many a figure is dhamma made clear
by the good Gotama. I am going to the revered Gotama for refuge and to dhamma and
to the Order of monks May the good Gotama accept me as a lay-follower going for refuge
from today forth for as long as life lasts."
Notes
1. A seven-storied palace is not to be built in one day
[Commentary]. [Go back]
2. It is not possible to learn the three Vedas by heart in one
day [Commentary]. [Go back]
3. Ganana. From this profession of his, the
distinguishing addition to the brahman's name is derived [Ed., The Wheel]. [Go back]
4. Brahmacariyam. This refers to the pure life of a
celibate recluse [Ed., The Wheel]. [Go back]
5. Kusala. Sometimes translated by "salutary,
profitable, karmically wholesome." [Ed., The Wheel]. [Go back]
6. On these, see The Wheel No. 26. [Go back]
7. Ariya refers here, according to the Visuddhimagga,
to the Enlightened Ones. [Go back]
8. Accantanittha. Accanta can also mean
"utmost, culminating, supreme." [Go back]